Buddy Valastro facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Buddy Valastro
Valastro at the 2013 Jersey City Mayoral Inauguration
Born	Bartolo Valastro, Jr. (1977-03-03) March 3, 1977 (age 48) Hoboken, New Jersey
Occupation	Baker television personality businessman
Known for	Baker, cake designer and host of Cake Boss
Television	Cake Boss
Title	Owner of Carlo's Bakery, Buddy V's Events, The Boss Cafe, Pizza Cake, & Buddy V's Ristorante
Spouse(s)	Lisa Valastro ​ (m. 2001)​
Children	4
Parent(s)	Bartolo Valastro Sr. and Mary Valastro

Bartolo "Buddy" Valastro Jr. (born March 3, 1977) is an American baker, TV star, and businessman. He is famous for his amazing cakes. Buddy took his family's small bakery, Carlo's Bakery, and made it into a huge baking and restaurant business.

He is best known as the star of the TV show Cake Boss. This show was on the TLC channel from 2009 to 2020. Buddy has also starred in other shows like Next Great Baker (2010), Kitchen Boss (2011), and Buddy's Bakery Rescue (2013). More recently, he has been on Buddy vs. Duff (2019), Buddy vs. Christmas (2020), Buddy Valastro's Cake Dynasty (2023), and Legends of The Fork (2023).

Early Life and Baking Start

Buddy Valastro was born in Hoboken, New Jersey. He grew up there and in Little Ferry, New Jersey. His mother was born in Italy and moved to New Jersey when she was young. His father, Buddy Sr., was also born in Italy. Buddy grew up with four sisters: Grace, Mary, Maddalena, and Lisa.

He went to Ridgefield Park High School. He also took special baking classes at Bergen County Technical High School, Teterboro Campus.

Buddy started working at his family's business, Carlo's Bakery, when he was only 11 years old. He worked alongside his father. When his father passed away in 1994, Buddy was just 17. He bravely took over the family business at a young age.

Buddy's Amazing Career

Buddy Valastro (right) and General Raymond T. Odierno cutting a cake to celebrate the U.S. Army's birthday in 2012.

Buddy Valastro helped Carlo's Bakery become famous for its beautiful wedding cakes. These cakes were even shown in bridal magazines! Because of this, he was asked to compete in four cake contests on the Food Network Challenge show. After losing his first three tries, he won the top prize of $10,000 in a "battle of the brides" competition.

After his success, Buddy suggested a TV show about his life at Carlo's Bakery. The show would feature him working with his mother, sisters, and other family members. The TLC channel liked the idea and started Cake Boss in 2009.

In 2010, Buddy wrote his first book, Cake Boss, Stories and Recipes from Mia Famiglia. He wrote more books after that, sharing his best recipes and decorating tips. He also shared family favorite Italian recipes.

Buddy was recognized for his success. In 2012, he was named one of Hudson County's most important people. In 2017, he was added to the New Jersey Hall of Fame. He was very proud to be from New Jersey.

Carlo's Bakery has grown a lot. It now has many locations across the United States. You can find his bakeries in places like New Jersey, New York City, Florida, and Las Vegas. There's also a big office and baking space in Jersey City. This is where they make large wedding cakes and special baked goods to send all over the country.

In 2013, Buddy opened his first Italian restaurant, Buddy V's Ristorante, in Las Vegas. He has since opened other restaurants there, including PizzaCake and The Boss Cafe.

Buddy also started an event planning company in 2014 called Buddy V's Events. This company helps plan parties and provides catering. He has also worked with companies to create new lines of pet treats and baking products like frosting and cookies.

In 2019, Buddy launched "cake ATMs." These are special vending machines that sell slices of his famous cakes. You can find these machines in many places, including Las Vegas, Toronto, Florida, and New Jersey.

In 2023, Buddy started two new TV shows on the A&E channel. Cake Dynasty shows his children joining the family business. Legends of The Fork features him visiting different restaurants around the country.

Giving Back

Buddy Valastro cares about helping others. He supports the Special Olympics. He even baked a special cake for the announcement that the 2014 Special Olympics USA National Games would be held in New Jersey.

He has also helped many sick children through the "Make-A-Wish" program. He grants their wish to bake with him, making their dreams come true.

Personal Life

Buddy Valastro married Elisabetta "Lisa" Belgiovine on October 14, 2001. They have four children: Sofia, Bartolo "Buddy" III, Marco, and Carlo. The family lived in East Hanover Township, New Jersey, until 2014, when they moved to Montville, New Jersey.

His four older sisters and their husbands often appear on his TV shows. His brother-in-law, Maurizio Belgiovine, helps manage Carlo's Bakery.

In September 2020, Buddy had a serious injury to his right hand, which is his dominant hand for baking. He had several surgeries to fix it. By November 2023, he shared that he had gotten back about 95% of the strength in his hand.

Television Shows

Images for kids

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  Buddy Valastro waving to fans at a cake fair in Orlando, Florida, 2017

See also

In Spanish: Buddy Valastro para niños

• List of pastry chefs